Originally Posted by
gnaget
I prefer the one in Kitatoda. They get it just right.
There is a legend that an American walked into the one on Aoyama dori in the 1970s and ordered a huge "feast" on Christmas Day. Then someone thought it was an American Xmas tradition so it was copied and became a local tradition. You will see "pancake restaurant scale" queues around Xmastime at the Aoyama dori branch.
I can see why it is popular given the popularity of katsu, which I find equally repulsive.
The credit for KFC's success in Japan is completely down to Mitsubishi. If it had been left solely to the Americans at KFC HQ there would have been a long wait before KFC was re-introduced. With Mitsubishi at the wheel and following their insistence on Aoyama being the first store to open in Tokyo, the choice to target foreign customers meant that they were (initially at least) very open to listening
to them. A customer saying that at Christmas time a KFC takeout was the next best thing to a Turkey Dinner got reported, the elites in management took notice and the remark inspired their KFC at Christmas campaign. May well be different now, but in the mid 70s those Mitsubishi people knew EXACTLY what they were doing as bringing previously unattainable luxury items (or at least the idea of them) to the masses was BIG business for them. KFC at Christmas is exactly the same concept as surimi (fish paste) crab meat at Christmas and tasteless hydroponic strawberries in a cream cake. There was no misunderstanding, just a very astute business decision that paid off, they understood their market beautifully.